Sometimes finding a job just to pay the bills is difficult enough. All too often, finding a job that’s also fun and personally fulfilling is just a pipe dream. Not to Tamara Steele, the mid-day host with CHSJ Country 94.1fm in Saint John.   Born just up the road in Nauwigewauk, NB, Tamara moved to Ontario to study broadcasting and soon after settled into a life in Timmins. In 2004 she decided she wanted to be closer to her family in New Brunswick, so she started looking for a position as a radio announcer anywhere in the Maritime Provinces. After some searching she landed a job that would bring her right back to Saint John, and into a life experience that she now cherishes.   “Acadia has deep, deep ties to the community.” She says of her employer Acadia Broadcasting, operators of CHSJ Country 94.1fm and the Hot AC sister station 97.3fm The Wave. “I was never happy with the level of community involvement at my old job. To be involved (in an event) and talk about it later… how well we did, how much fun we had, that’s priceless!”   As if access to community events weren’t enough, Tamara says one of the biggest perks of her job is her loyal Saint John listenership. “We have great listeners!” she exclaims with a huge smile. “They treat you like you’re their daughter, sister, part of the family.” When she first started her job on Country 94.1fm she estimates she received at least fifty personal calls from listeners – people who simply wanted to welcome her to the community and make her feel at home. “When you feel connected to the community every day, that’s just a great feeling!”   Tamara values her geography almost as much as her neighbourhood. Living in Saint John gives her access to her family, the US for her cross-border shopping trips, other Maritime Provinces for weekend fun, and the beautiful Bay of Fundy for some daily peace. “Living on the coast is pretty fantastic.” She says of the Bay of Fundy. “I’ve been to Ireland, France and Switzerland and this place is equally as beautiful.”

Another bonus of life in Saint John is the strong sense of history that permeates the place. Tamara rents an apartment in a Victorian building in historic Uptown Saint John, just blocks from her office. Strangely enough, both her maternal and paternal grandmothers were born in the same building back when it was a maternity hospital. Her unique connection to her home makes her that much more aware of the heritage that surrounds her when she’s wandering through the city.     Tamara’s advice to people thinking of following in her footsteps is simple, “It’s a great time to come home.” She says confidently. “Research it. Talk to people who have done what I did.”

 

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